70% of In-House Counsel See Blogs as Valuable Source of Content, Up 23% Since Last Greentarget-Zeughauser Survey
Seventy percent of in-house counsel see blogs as a valuable source of content in 2022, up from 57% in 2019. A twenty-three percent increase.
In addition, blogs are strikingly not that far behind a recommendation from a trusted source as a critical factor for in-house counsel when researching law firms for potential hire.
This from the 2022 State of Digital & Content Marketing Survey conducted by Greentarget and the Zeughauser Group.
Our 2022 survey found that decision-makers are paying more attention to content from thought leaders such as lawyers, consultants, and other professionals than in 2019, both for business intelligence and to gather information on outside firms they’re considering hiring.
The digital acceleration during the pandemic elevated the value of thought leader websites and blogs for business and legal executives. Seventy percent of in-house counsel said those online outlets were a valuable source of content in 2022, up from 57% in 2019.
Blogs, and the thought leadership created thereby are viewed as equally valuable by in-house counsel when evaluating who to hire.
When it comes to researching law firms and professional services providers for potential hire, more than two-thirds of respondents (71% of in-house counsel; 69% of C-suite members) cited articles and speeches from thought leaders as a critical factor — second only to recommendations from trusted sources. That’s an increase of six percentage points for both groups compared to 2019.
Sixty-four percent of in-house counsel said thought leader websites and blogs were important tools for researching outside firms — up considerably from 2019, when half of in-house counsel cited them as important.
Niche blogs are seeing huge growth.
The pandemic accelerated digital consumption and prompted explosive growth in thought leadership content, including blogs focused on niche areas of expertise
From John Corey, President and Founding Partner of Greentarget,
It’s logical that decision-makers would increasingly identify and value those sources for actionable insights on key topics. But given the fierce competition for eyeballs amid the information glut, such content must be focused and high quality — or risk a diminishing audience.
The survey and accompanying report, supported by an abundance of data, is a valuable read for any lawyer or law firm evaluating thought leadership, and its use, for business development.
I’ll share more on the survey in the coming week.
As background, Greentarget is a strategic public relations firm focused on the communications needs of competitive business-to-business organizations.
Zeughauser Group advises legal industry leaders seeking to increase competitive advantage and profitability.